Home Kommein Rambling on... Exploring Loyalty in the Blogosphere

Exploring Loyalty in the Blogosphere

Posted on April 4, 2011 Written by 22 Comments

I started blogging as a way to earn more money as a freelance writer. I continued blogging and eventually got into social media because of the people and community. As bloggers and community managers we often talk about our loyal communities, but is this always the case? We don’t have the same readers from year to year, and some people in the blogosphere only stay true to the folks who can do the most for them. For others, their loyalty is measured by follower counts and Klout ranking.

I think many of us in the blogosphere are rather transient with our loyalty.

I can tell you that:

  • Many of the blogs I read back in the day aren’t on my list anymore.
  • Many of the superstars I followed back in the day aren’t only my list anymore.
  • Many of my own ideas have changed.
  • The people I work for and projects I take on have changed.

Is this disloyalty? I think sometimes, it depends on the circumstances.People’s tastes change, both online and off. We often change our opinions, in reading material and in friends, so I don’t know that it’s disloyal to not follow a blog anymore. However, I believe if you are a member of a blog’s community, don’t feel it anymore, and start trashing the blog or blogger on Twitter, perhaps there’s disloyalty involved. (And remember, respectful disagreement doesn’t equal trash talking.)

It’s the same way with friends. If I’m friends with someone for 20 years but we grow apart through that’s normal, especially if we have families and move away from each other. I can be loyal and be apart. If I talk about said friend behind her back or tell her secrets to others, I’m not a loyal friend.

When you’re loyal, you have someone’s back. Always.

  • I am loyal to my family whether I agree with them or not because they’re my family and will always have that respect. There are times when we argue and there are times when I think they’re silly, but they’re my family and unless they do something truly awful I will always be loyal to them.
  • I am loyal to my place of employment because they took a chance on me and hired me and I believe in what they do. If there comes a time that I can’t remain loyal to them, if I have to choose other businesses or ideas over them, it will be time for me to move on. I don’t believe we can be truly happy working for someone who we can’t offer our loyalty, and I don’t believe it’s fair to them not to have our loyalty.
  • I am loyal to the people I work with because they are great people. They share their ideas and ask for my opinion. They listen to my ideas and encourage me to act on them. They don’t micromanage, but they offer guidance when needed. They trust me and treat me like a grownup. Thus they have my loyalty. When I’m working for them I look out for their best interests.
  • I am loyal to my readers because without them, there would be no me. Without them, I would be writing for no one. They respectfully call me out when I’m wrong and let me know when I’ve done something right. They defend my honor and know I have their backs in return. They know we can disagree and still respect each other.
  • I’m loyal to my online friends because they’re always there with a smile and good conversation. We share ideas and tips and even a joke or two. If we disagree we take it private, work it out, and don’t announce it on Twitter.
  • I’m loyal to my offline friends because it takes a good friend to be a good friend. We share our secrets and take care of each other kids. We watch each others homes and enjoy each others company.

I think it’s possible to cultivate important online relationships. However, I don’t know that I believe that every one of our online friends are loyal to us or our cause. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as interests change – and so do loyalties.

Is a blog’s community one that is truly loyal?  How many blogs have readers that stick around and have their back throughout the years? How many bloggers expect a loyal community but don’t take the time visit their community member’s blogs in return? Are we only loyal to those who suit our agendas?

I don’t know that I have the answer to this one, but I do believe it be worthy of further exploration.  What makes an online friend or member of one’s online community loyal or  disloyal?

discuss…

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  • http://twitter.com/poewar John Hewitt

    My experience with bloggers in my niche is that most of the ones I used to follow have stopped blogging. There are a few who are still around, but even they aren’t really producing anything new or interesting. Most of their stuff is rehashes of old ideas mixed with sales pitches for whatever their blogs product of choice is. New bloggers crop up, but nobody out there has really caught my attention recently.

    I lump myself in the same category. I have nothing new to say about writing, so I have stopped trying to keep that up. I blog about what I want now, and as often or as seldom as I want. That has probably lost me some of my old audience, but the only alternative was to say nothing at all.

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      I feel the same way about some of the blogs in (our) former niche too, John. Tastes change, but does that make us disloyal? I think about that a lot mostly because I have a guilty conscience for not reading half the stuff I used to, even if it’s written by friends.

  • http://twitter.com/poewar John Hewitt

    My experience with bloggers in my niche is that most of the ones I used to follow have stopped blogging. There are a few who are still around, but even they aren’t really producing anything new or interesting. Most of their stuff is rehashes of old ideas mixed with sales pitches for whatever their blogs product of choice is. New bloggers crop up, but nobody out there has really caught my attention recently.

    I lump myself in the same category. I have nothing new to say about writing, so I have stopped trying to keep that up. I blog about what I want now, and as often or as seldom as I want. That has probably lost me some of my old audience, but the only alternative was to say nothing at all.

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      I feel the same way about some of the blogs in (our) former niche too, John. Tastes change, but does that make us disloyal? I think about that a lot mostly because I have a guilty conscience for not reading half the stuff I used to, even if it’s written by friends.

  • http://twitter.com/poewar John Hewitt

    I really don’t think it is disloyal to stop following a blog if it no longer is of interest you you. One of the things with the writing niche is that it gets overwhelmed by articles about freelancing and marketing, and most are aimed at beginners. I’m not that target audience, so I don’t really have a reason to keep reading. It isn’t a criticism, it’s just that they’ve taken me as far as I can go in that topic.

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      I find that to be an issue at conferences as well. I’m told by the seasoned pros that our content is too basic and so I’m challenged to find “advanced” topics. I think it’s a good reminder that sometimes we preach to the choir and sometimes we need to sing a bit higher.

  • http://twitter.com/poewar John Hewitt

    I really don’t think it is disloyal to stop following a blog if it no longer is of interest you you. One of the things with the writing niche is that it gets overwhelmed by articles about freelancing and marketing, and most are aimed at beginners. I’m not that target audience, so I don’t really have a reason to keep reading. It isn’t a criticism, it’s just that they’ve taken me as far as I can go in that topic.

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      I find that to be an issue at conferences as well. I’m told by the seasoned pros that our content is too basic and so I’m challenged to find “advanced” topics. I think it’s a good reminder that sometimes we preach to the choir and sometimes we need to sing a bit higher.

  • http://www.iampsjones.com P.S. Jones

    Loyalty is a must in friendships and other relationships because it goes hand in hand with trust. You bring up a good point about loyalty: it survives differences of opinions. That’s because loyalty is just a different facet of respect. You can disagree with someone, still respect their opinion and remain loyal all at the same time.

    On the other hand, I don’t equate loyalty with reading blogs or retweeting links, etc. I guess that’s because I only do those things when the content is useful for me. (I wouldn’t keep eating lunch at a restaurant that doesn’t serve what I like to eat anymore, would I?) I also think that it’s natural to be loyal to someone who shows loyalty back. So, using the blog example again, I’m more likely to keep coming back to a site where the owner answers all of the comments than one where they don’t.

  • http://www.iampsjones.com P.S. Jones

    Loyalty is a must in friendships and other relationships because it goes hand in hand with trust. You bring up a good point about loyalty: it survives differences of opinions. That’s because loyalty is just a different facet of respect. You can disagree with someone, still respect their opinion and remain loyal all at the same time.

    On the other hand, I don’t equate loyalty with reading blogs or retweeting links, etc. I guess that’s because I only do those things when the content is useful for me. (I wouldn’t keep eating lunch at a restaurant that doesn’t serve what I like to eat anymore, would I?) I also think that it’s natural to be loyal to someone who shows loyalty back. So, using the blog example again, I’m more likely to keep coming back to a site where the owner answers all of the comments than one where they don’t.

  • http://www.socialmediamercenary.com Leslie A. Joy

    I’m taking this comment in two different directions:

    Direction 1: Blogs can grow and evolve-and so can authors-and so can people. I don’t read Baby Sitter Club books anymore because they no longer appeal to me. I still loved them, I’d still recommend them for the age demograph, but they don’t fit my reading needs right now. It’s not a lack of loyalty-it’s a matter of growing. On the other side of the coin, writers can grow and evolve too, I might not like a writer’s earlier writing-or later writing, but once again that’s not a lack of loyalty. There are some bloggers I no longer read-they’re blogs might still be fantastic (I’m not reading them, so I don’t know), but they no longer fit my interests or needs because the writer evolved. Zen Habits comes to mind, I used to read it, but as it became more and more about minimalism, I lost interest. I’d still recommend some of Leo’s earlier work because it’s good-I’m just not as interested in his newer stuff. Not a lack of loyalty-it’s growing. And you can’t fault either one of us for that.

    Direction 2: The difference between blogs and books is it’s much easier to form a personal connection-or even a friendship with a blogger. However, I’m not still friends with the same people I was friends with when I was 6. There are friends I still talk to from 4 years ago and some friends that I don’t. It’d be kind of ridiculous for it NOT to be the same with blogs or online friends. People and friendships grow and evolve. It might not mean you’re not loyal anymore, but that you’ve change, grown, and moved on.

    As far as being loyal with online friends, I have some online friends who I’m super-close to and would do anything for-just like I would for some friends in real life. Those online friends have my number and know they can call it anytime. In many ways, online friends aren’t different than having work friends-it’s just a different medium.

    As a freelancer, I tend to consider my online friends as my new version of work friends or cube-mates.

    Holy crap that was long. Sorry for the dissertation Deb.

  • http://www.socialmediamercenary.com Leslie A. Joy

    I’m taking this comment in two different directions:

    Direction 1: Blogs can grow and evolve-and so can authors-and so can people. I don’t read Baby Sitter Club books anymore because they no longer appeal to me. I still loved them, I’d still recommend them for the age demograph, but they don’t fit my reading needs right now. It’s not a lack of loyalty-it’s a matter of growing. On the other side of the coin, writers can grow and evolve too, I might not like a writer’s earlier writing-or later writing, but once again that’s not a lack of loyalty. There are some bloggers I no longer read-they’re blogs might still be fantastic (I’m not reading them, so I don’t know), but they no longer fit my interests or needs because the writer evolved. Zen Habits comes to mind, I used to read it, but as it became more and more about minimalism, I lost interest. I’d still recommend some of Leo’s earlier work because it’s good-I’m just not as interested in his newer stuff. Not a lack of loyalty-it’s growing. And you can’t fault either one of us for that.

    Direction 2: The difference between blogs and books is it’s much easier to form a personal connection-or even a friendship with a blogger. However, I’m not still friends with the same people I was friends with when I was 6. There are friends I still talk to from 4 years ago and some friends that I don’t. It’d be kind of ridiculous for it NOT to be the same with blogs or online friends. People and friendships grow and evolve. It might not mean you’re not loyal anymore, but that you’ve change, grown, and moved on.

    As far as being loyal with online friends, I have some online friends who I’m super-close to and would do anything for-just like I would for some friends in real life. Those online friends have my number and know they can call it anytime. In many ways, online friends aren’t different than having work friends-it’s just a different medium.

    As a freelancer, I tend to consider my online friends as my new version of work friends or cube-mates.

    Holy crap that was long. Sorry for the dissertation Deb.

  • http://twitter.com/SHurleyHall Sharon Hurley Hall

    I think growing apart is normal. There are blogs I no longer read, but still recommend to those who are where I was when I read them (if that makes sense). For me, it’s usually the person behind the blog who inspires my loyalty, and I have followed some of my favorite people as they have moved to different sites and changed the topics they write about.

    On the subject of friendships, I have a core group of online friends with whom I started blogging in 2005. Not all of us are in touch every day (though there are 3 or 4 of us that connect every week or two), but we are interested in each others’ progress, respect each others’ viewpoints (even if we don’t always agree) and wish each other well. I think that’s wonderful. There are also a few who have fallen by the wayside – that’s life, and I don’t lose much sleep over it.

  • http://twitter.com/SHurleyHall Sharon Hurley Hall

    I think growing apart is normal. There are blogs I no longer read, but still recommend to those who are where I was when I read them (if that makes sense). For me, it’s usually the person behind the blog who inspires my loyalty, and I have followed some of my favorite people as they have moved to different sites and changed the topics they write about.

    On the subject of friendships, I have a core group of online friends with whom I started blogging in 2005. Not all of us are in touch every day (though there are 3 or 4 of us that connect every week or two), but we are interested in each others’ progress, respect each others’ viewpoints (even if we don’t always agree) and wish each other well. I think that’s wonderful. There are also a few who have fallen by the wayside – that’s life, and I don’t lose much sleep over it.

  • http://www.andyhayes.com Andy Hayes

    Great post, Deb – made me a little poignant thinking about how far back our relationship is. I was a rabid fan of your old blog even before I was on Twitter, because it was at your insistence I joined! :)

    Then things developed and I wrote for the blog, and then you sold, I left later, and we’ve went on to be working on top secret join projects. ;)

    Throughout our situation has changed but our relationship mostly hasn’t. We still have plenty to talk about, for sure, just different stuff.

    I think, esp blogger relationships, it isn’t about whether you read everything they wrote – we aren’t always each other’s target audiences – but more for me about “hey – are you ok?”

    That’s all for now. This got me thinking about a lot!
    -A-

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      Andy, you were the first person who popped into my head when I was writing this post. You are loyalty personified.

      • http://andyhayes.com Andy Hayes

        Aww. *BLUSH*

  • http://www.andyhayes.com Andy Hayes

    Great post, Deb – made me a little poignant thinking about how far back our relationship is. I was a rabid fan of your old blog even before I was on Twitter, because it was at your insistence I joined! :)

    Then things developed and I wrote for the blog, and then you sold, I left later, and we’ve went on to be working on top secret join projects. ;)

    Throughout our situation has changed but our relationship mostly hasn’t. We still have plenty to talk about, for sure, just different stuff.

    I think, esp blogger relationships, it isn’t about whether you read everything they wrote – we aren’t always each other’s target audiences – but more for me about “hey – are you ok?”

    That’s all for now. This got me thinking about a lot!
    -A-

    • http://kommein.com Deb Ng

      Andy, you were the first person who popped into my head when I was writing this post. You are loyalty personified.

      • http://andyhayes.com Andy Hayes

        Aww. *BLUSH*

  • http://www.thejackb.com/ The JackB

    I think that sometimes readers feel like they have learned all that they can or most of what they need from writers so they go elsewhere. It doesn’t mean that they don’t like them or that they won’t come back, but their needs aren’t being met in the same way anymore.

  • http://www.thejackb.com/ The JackB

    I think that sometimes readers feel like they have learned all that they can or most of what they need from writers so they go elsewhere. It doesn’t mean that they don’t like them or that they won’t come back, but their needs aren’t being met in the same way anymore.